1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an accessory for use with a post anchor to provide load bearing capacity for supporting decks, sheds and other light framed construction structures. This anchor and plate device is intended to support structures with both vertical and lateral loads without the need for traditional post holes, concrete or ledger boards.
2. Description of Related Art
Foundations for decks, sheds, stairways, etc., are typically mounted to the ground by digging a hole, filling the hole with concrete and then placing the support post on top of this foundation. This process is effective but time consuming. Furthermore, extra care must be taken to be sure that the concrete footing post is deep enough and wide enough to properly protect the foundation from frost heave and settlement. This has led building inspectors to require post hole inspections to assure compliance to local building codes.
Foundation problems have also been addressed in the prior art by providing cement blocks that can sit on the ground to support the deck structure. In the prior art, an example exists of a cement block with slots for the posts to rest on to form a foundation. Examples are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,392,575, 5,953,874 and 6,609,346, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The above mentioned foundation has several flaws which have limited its effectiveness. The cement block foundation technique relies on gravity to hold the deck posts to the cement footing. This is not useful in many situations where uplift can occur from wind or other similar environmental effects.
Deck blocks also do not have any means for stopping the block from sliding or moving on the surface of the ground which could present a safety concern. Furthermore, deck blocks do not provide any lateral support to the post that sits on them. Thus, additional angular bracing is required to fix the problem. This adds cost and additional labor to the construction project.
A need accordingly exists for a more effective mechanism for providing a foundation for supporting decks, sheds and other light framed construction structures.